In the Buddha's teaching, the highest happiness is peace. It's not the peaceful feeling that comes and goes all the time, but the sense that you are already home—that your search has ended. When we are not caught up in a narrow and endless search for peace somewhere else, our mind quiets and our heart naturally opens to each other and the world. We wake up.
Howard Cohn, MA
Residential Retreat Teacher
Howard Cohn has practiced meditation since 1972, and has led vipassana retreats since 1985. He leads a weekly ongoing class in San Francisco. Howard has studied with many Asian and western teachers of several traditions, including Theravada, Zen, Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta, and has been strongly influenced by contact with the Indian master H.W.L. Poonja. He has done postgraduate work in East/West Psychology and has a private counseling practice.
Howard Cohn's Upcoming Programs
Short Program | On-Land
Sunday, August 24 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
An Insight Meditation Day of Practice: Recovering Our Natural Peace
This day of practice in the Insight Meditation tradition is an invitation to reawaken our capacity for mindfulness and friendliness. Cultivating a relaxed, kind, and curious attention to our present moment experience, we can recover our natural peace, clarity, wisdom, and compassion. This direct experience of the present moment enables us to connect with ourselves more intimately, understand the causes of both suffering and happiness, and discover our natural freedom and ease.
Howard Cohn
Retreat | On-Land
August 27 - September 1, 2025 | Wednesday - Monday | 5 nights
Labor Day Insight Meditation Retreat
Registration Open. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing clarity and depth of practice. Traditional instructions will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness, and our time together will include a schedule of silent sitting and walking periods, guided Yoga/movement sessions, as well as practice meetings with teachers and daily Dharma talks. This retreat is for experienced as well as new students.
Retreat | On-Land
December 8 - December 12, 2025 | Monday - Friday | 4 nights
Disentangling the Heart: Clear Awareness and Insight
Registration Open. The Buddha taught that we can disentangle ourselves from suffering by practicing wise mindfulness supported by non-harming conduct, intentions rooted in kindness and non-clinging, and other wholesome factors of mind. During this silent retreat, we will explore our innate capacity for liberating insight. We will cultivate a deeply restful, mindful attention to each moment’s experience that opens us to joy, ease, and a greater understanding of the truth of the way things are.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Howard Cohn through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.